)' 


JtIIEOLCGICAL  SEMINARY. I 

[|     Princeton,  N.  J.  | 

BV  3317  .RJ 
Rufus  Hill 


jFrontfspiece. 


Mongol  gentleman- 


/      ^ 

RUFUS  HILL: 


A  MEMOIR  WRITTEN  BY  HIS  MOTPIER, 
NOW  IN  AMERICA. 


^Ijilabelpl^m: 


AMERICAN   SUNDAY-SCHOOL   UNION, 

No.  31G  CHESTNUT  STREET. 

HEW  YORK:  Ko.  147  NASSAU  ST BOSTOX:  No.  9  COENHILL. 

LOUISVILLE:  No.  103  FOURTH  ST. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1854,  hy  the 

A3IERICAN  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   UNIOX, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Eastern  District  of 

Pennsylvania. 


JSS^-  iN^o  boolcs  are  published  hy  the  American  Sunday-School  Union 
without  the  sanction  of  the  Committee  of  Publication,  consisting  of  four- 
teen members,  from  the  folloiving  denominations  of  Christians,  viz.  Bap- 
tist, Methodist,  Congregational,  Episcopal,  Presbyterian,  Lutheran,  and 
Reformed  Dutch.  Not  more  than  three  of  the  membeis  can  be  of  the  same 
denomination,  and  no  book  can  be  published  to  which  any  member  of  the 
Committee  shaU  object. 


RUFUS  hill: 


The  little  boy,  whose  history  is  here 
given,  was  born  and  lived  far  away  from 
the  happy  homes  of  those  who  will  read 
it.  I  have  two  reasons  for  giving  you 
this  story.  One  is,  that  you  may  see 
how  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  can  plant  the 
love  of  Jesus  in  the  heart  of  a  little 
child,  possessing  no  uncommon  faculties 
— a  child  in  no  way  different  in  body  or 
mind  from  yourself,  or  your  playmates. 

Another  reason  is,  that  you  may  learn 
something  of  the  suffering  to  which  the 
children  of  missionaries  are  exposed  in 
the  hot,  unhealthy  climate  of  southern 
and  southeastern  Asia. 

Ell/us  Hill   (for    that  was  the   little 

1*  5 


6  RUFUS    HILL: 

boy's  name)  was  born  at  Singapore,  Feb- 
ruary 1,  1834:.  This  town  is  often  men- 
tioned by  travellers  and  missionaries,  and 
is  found  on  an  island  of  the  same  name, 
situated  near  the  southern  extremity  of 
the  peninsula  of  Malacca,  and  separated 
from  it  only  by  a  narrow  strait.  In 
length  the  island  is  about  twenty  five 
miles,  and  fifteen  in  breadth,  and  it  lies 
at  the  southern  point  of  the  continent  of 
Asia.    You  can  easily  find  it  on  your  map. 

The  coast  is  very  level :  but  the  land 
rises  gradually  toward  the  interior,  until 
it  terminates  in  a  lofty  peak  near  the 
centre  of  the  island. 

Only  the  southern  side  of  the  island  is 
cultivated.  The  rest  is  still  covered  with 
a  dense  jungle,  inhabited  by  tigers  and 
jackals.  The  former  sometimes  creep 
into  the  settlement,  and  carry  away  the 
natives. 

The  soil  is  not  very  fertile,  but  suffi- 
ciently so  to  produce  nutmegs,  cloves, 
sugar-cane,  and  many  other  fruits  and 
plants  peculiar  to  tropical  regions,  though 


Chinese  labourer.       p.  8. 


THE    MISSIONARY   CHILD.  7 

none  of  them  in  the  greatest  perfection, 
except  a  fruit  called  papaw,  and  pine- 
apples. 

The  island  is  a  part  of  the  East  India 
possessions  of  the  English  government, 
by  whom  its  laws  are  made  and  its  officers 
appointed.  All  honourable  and  lucra- 
tive situations  are  filled  by  Englishmen, 
of  whom  there  are  several  hundred  in 
the  town.  But  most  of  the  inhabitants 
are  natives  of  eastern  and  southern  Asia, 
though  you  see  people  there  from  almost 
every  tribe  and  city  east  of  Constanti- 
nople. In  walking  the  streets  you  might 
be  reminded  of  the  company  assembled 
at  Jerusalem  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  as 
described  in  the  book  of  Acts  ii.  9, 10, 11. 
It  is  well  worthy  the  name  of  "  modern 
Babel,"  which  is  often  given  to  it.  I 
should  like  to  tell  you  much  about  these 
people,  but  I  can  say  little  in  so  small  a 
book. 

The  first  thing  my  readers  would  no- 
tice, in  passing  through  the  streets  of 
Singapore,  would  be  the  singularity  and 


8  RUFUS    HILL: 

diversity  of  dress.  In  that  part  of  the 
world  native  fashions  never  change,  and 
one  nation  or  caste  never  adopts  the  cus- 
tom of  another;  and  so  closely  does  each 
adhere  to  his  own,  that  a  stranger  soon 
learns  to  distinguish  not  only  the  natives 
of  one  district  from  those  of  another  by 
their  dress,  but  their  caste  or  rank,  and, 
in  many  cases,  even  their  trade  or  busi- 
ness. 

Of  the  Asiatic  population  the  Chinese 
are  the  most  important,  both  because 
they  are  most  numerous,  and  the  most 
industrious.  No  work  is  so  menial,  dif- 
ficult, or  delicate  but  they  will  undertake 
it,  and  strive  hard  to  do  it — well  enough 
at  least  to  get  their  pay. 

When  you  meet  a  man,  with  high 
cheek  bones,  eyes  diagonally  set,  reced- 
ing forehead  and  a  hank  of  long,  coarse, 
black  hair,  hanging  in  a  braid  from  the 
crown  of  his  head,  you  may  know  he  is 
a  Chinaman.  If  he  is  a  gentleman,  or 
a  scholar,  he  is  dressed  in  broad,  loose, 
trousers,   gathered   and   tied   about   the 


A  Chinese  gentleman-      p.  9. 


THE    MISSIONARY   CHILD.  d 

hips;  a  sack,  buttoned  closely  around 
the  neck,  with  large,  open  sleeves;  shoes 
or  sandals,  with  inch  thick  soles;  an  um- 
brella over  his  head,  and  a  fan  in  his 
hand.  This  is  the  invariable  costume 
of  the  wealthiest  and  more  respectable 
class  of  Chinese  emigrants.  The  la- 
bourer wears  little  or  nothing  beside  a 
pair  of  short  trousers,  reaching  no  lower 
than  the  knee.  Blue  and  black  are  their 
favourite  colours  for  ordinary  dress,  and 
white  for  mourning. 

They  are  very  much  attached  to  their 
own  customs;  and  it  is  often  said  in  In- 
dia, "  a  Chinaman  would  as  soon  lose  his 
head  as  his  hair."  However  this  may 
be,  police  officers  find  their  braids  a  great 
convenience ;  for,  in  catching  rogues,  or 
taking  them  to  prison,  it  is  only  neces- 
sary to  get  a  firm  grasp  on  their  long 
hair,  and  they  are  perfectly  secure. 

In  strong  contrast  to  the  e very-day 
practical  appearance  of  the  plodding, 
money-loving  and  money-making  China- 
man, trips  along  a  dandyish-looking  fel- 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  11 

and  as  their  religion  (which  is  Moham- 
medan,) prescribes  no  particular  fashion 
of  dress,  that  undeviating  uniformity 
of  costume  is  not  found  among  them 
which  prevails  among  other  tribes  repre- 
sented at  Singapore.  Still  the  high- 
cheek  bone,  the  dark  scowling  counte- 
nance, and  the  piratical  appearance  of 
the  whole  man,  soon  teaches  one  to  dis- 
tinguish a  Malay,  notwithstanding  his 
dress. 

But  I  cannot  give  a  particular  account 
of  all  these  people.  There  we  find  Bur- 
mese, Bugis  from  the  Celebes,  Cochin 
Chinese,  and  indeed  natives  of  every  con- 
siderable island  near  the  coast  of  south- 
ern and  eastern  Asia.  I  said  they 
brought  their  own  language  and  fashions 
with  them ;  they  bring  their  false  religion 
also. 

Were  it  not  for  the  spiritual  degrada- 
tion of  this  class  of  the  population,  Sin- 
gapore would  be  a  delightful  place.  The 
English  residents  have  elegant  houses, 
good  roads,  nice  carriages,  and  a  beauti- 


12  RUFUS  hill: 

ful  church.  But  the  soul-sickening  cere- 
monies of  idolatry,  which  are  daily  exhi- 
bited there,  cast  a  shade  over  all  hu- 
man improvements  and  all  nature's  beau- 
ties. 

Here  the  poor  benighted  sons  of  India 
may  be  seen  at  their  hook-swinging,  walk- 
ing barefoot  over  burning  coals,  jump- 
ing from  elevated  platforms  upon  sacks 
of  straw  containing  daggers,  spikes,  and 
other  pointed  instruments ;  and  to  these 
are  added  other  idolatrous  ceremonies 
still  more  revolting  to  man,  and  abomi- 
nable in  the  sight  of  God. 

They  also  have  their  seasons  for  carry- 
ing abroad  their  idols.  This  seems  the 
grand  gala  day.  The  idol,  being  seated 
upon  a  gilded  throne,  under  a  splendid 
canopy,  is  borne  aloft  upon  men's  shoul- 
ders through  the  streets,  followed  by  thou- 
sands of  people ;  some  bearing  gay  banners, 
splendid  umbrellas,  bouquets  of  beautiful 
flowers;  some,  pagodas,  elephants,  tigers, 
and  the  forms  of  many  imaginary  crea- 
tures, resembling  neither  beast,  bird,  nor 


Siamese  musical  instruments— the  gong  and  the  drum.        p-  13. 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  13 

insect;  all  made  of  coloured  and  gilt  pa- 
per; while  in  the  hands  of  others  are 
musical  instruments,  which  seem  con- 
structed for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
from  them  the  most  discordant  sounds. 
To  the  deafening  discord  of  these,  add 
the  shouts  and  yells  of  the  multitude, 
and  the  idea  of  a  heathen  festival  will  be 
fully  realized. 

During  the  months  of  January  and 
February,  the  Mohammedans  hold  their 
forty  days'  fast.  From  the  rising  to  the 
setting  sun  they  eat  nothing;  but  at 
night  they  take  their  fill.  It  is  devoted 
wholly  to  feasting  and  riot.  Many  of 
these  deluded  creatures  go  on  a  pilgrim- 
age to  Mecca  on  the  Ked  Sea,  where  Mo- 
hammed was  born,  and  are  thus  made 
too  holy  to  work!  Accordingly,  after 
their  return,  they  are  supported  by  alms 
given  from  door  to  door;  thus  setting  at 
naught  that  precept  of  our  holy  religion 
which  says,  "  If  any  man  will  not  work, 
neither  shall  he  eat." 


14  RUFUS   HILL: 

In  or  near  the  month  of  April  the  Chi- 
nese may  be  seen  flocking  in  multitudes 
to  the  beautiful  hill-sides,  carrying  great 
quantities  and  varieties  of  food.  You  ask, 
"Are  they  going  to  have  a  pic-nic?"  But, 
see;  what  are  those  small  openings  on 
the  hill-side,  closed  with  white  tablets? 
They  look  like  the  mouths  of  old-fash- 
ioned brick  ovens."  They  are  graves, 
and  you  see  the  Chinamen  are  rapidly 
assembling  around  them. 

"What! — A  pic-nic  in  the  burying- 
ground!"  you  exclaim  in  astonishment. 

No,  not  exactly  that.  This  is  their 
"  Feast  of  Tombs,"  when  each  family  feeds 
the  spirits  of  their  departed  ancestors  and 
friends.  They  place  the  food  before  the 
mouth  of  the  grave,  and  let  it  remain 
several  hours,  during  which  time  they 
say  the  spirits  feast  on  the  essence;  and 
when  they  eat  the  material  part,  which 
they  say  the  spirits  could  not  consume, 
they  insist  that  it  has  lost  nearly  all  its 
nutritious  properties.     It  is  a  part,  and 


THE    MISSIONARY    CHILD.  15 

a  great  part,  of  a  Chinaman's  religion,  to 
worship,  in  one  way  or  another,  his  dead 
friends ! 

0,  how  vain  and  wearisome  are  all  the 
forms  and  ceremonies  of  every  false  reli- 
gion. In  what  strong  contrast  do  they 
appear  to  that  simple  heavenly  require- 
ment, which  says,  "  Believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved." 

The  little  sketch  I  have  given  will 
show  the  reader  how  degraded  any  peo- 
ple are  who  have  no  Bible,  and  no  know- 
ledge of  the  true  God.  Probably  many 
of  these  men  and  women,  and  some  even 
of  the  children,  would  become  Christians 
if  they  were  told  how  Christ  died  for 
sinners,  and  for  them  as  well  as  others. 
But  who  will  go  and  teach  them  this  glo- 
rious truth?  Where  shall  the  men  and 
women  be  found,  who  will  willingly,  yes, 
gladly  sacrifice  home,  friends,  and  coun- 
try, that  they  may  have  the  unspeakable 
privilege  of  teaching  these  poor,  dark- 
minded  heathens,  the  true  and  only  way 
of  salvation? 


16  RUFUS   HILL: 

But  the  home  of  our  little  Eufus  was 
to  be  in  the  midst  of  still  grosser  moral 
darkness.  Here,  in  Singapore,  one  might 
turn  the  eye  to  the  tasteful  edifice  where 
the  English  residents  worshipped  God; 
but  there  no  church  spire  pointed  the  de- 
vout soul  heavenward.  No  preacher  of 
the  blessed  gospel  had  ever  passed  through 
the  great  thorough-fares,  lanes,  and  bye- 
paths  of  that  city  of  five  hundred  thou- 
sand immortal  beings,  and  proclaimed  a 
dying  Saviour's  love.  A  very  few,  through 
books  or  reports,  had  heard  of  the  "  fo- 
reigners' religion,"  but  nothing  more. 

To  reach  this  country  from  Singapore, 
you  go  about  one  thousand  miles  north, 
up  the  Gulf  of  Siam ;  then  twenty  miles 
up  the  river  Meinam,  (Mother  of  Wa- 
ters,) which  empties  into  the  gulf,  and 
you  reach  the  city  of  Banghok.  To  this 
place  the  parents  of  little  Rufus  were 
destined ;  and,  soon  after  his  birth,  took 
passage  on  a  fine  large  ship  belonging  to 
a  parsee,  or  merchant,  of  Bombay,  Sir 
James  Settjee  Jeejeebhoy. 


Siamese  wanderer.       p.  18. 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  17 

On  this  ship  were  nearly  one  hundred 
men,  not  one  of  whom  could  speak  English. 
The  captain  was  an  Arab,  and  his  crew 
Lascars,  or  East  Indian  sailors.  At  the 
end  of  two  weeks  the  ship,  passing  from 
Singapore  along  the  eastern  coast  of  Ma- 
lacca, anchored  outside  the  sand-bar, 
wdiich  stretches  across  the  head  of  the 
gulf,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  beautiful 
river  Meinam.  Here  they  took  a  pilot; 
and,  after  passing  over  the  bar  at  high 
tide,  into  the  mouth  of  the  river,  three 
days  of  floating  and  warping  up  its  ser- 
pentine course  brought  them  to  Ban- 
kok,  that  great  city,  which  was  to  be 
their  future  home. 

How  the  natives  flocked  around  to  see 
the  foreign  (or  "  outside")  women,  and 
white-haired  children.  And  the  mis- 
sionaries— they,  in  their  turn,  looked, 
and  wondered  too. 

But  how  shall  we  distinguish  between 
men  and  women,  in  this  crowd  of  dark- 
brown  faces  and  strange  costume,  for 
they  all  wear  a  long,  broad  piece  of  cloth 

2* 


18  RUFUS   HILL: 

wrapped  around  the  waist,  and  fastened 
before  them,  the  hanging  ends  turned 
back,  and  tucked  in  behind,  so  as  to  ap 
pear  like  what  your  grand-parents  called 
"  smallclothes."  Oh!  I  see  the  difference 
now.  The  women  wear  a  scarf,  thrown 
forward  over  the  left  shoulder,  then 
brought  under  the  right  arm,  and  thrown 
hacJc  over  the  same  shoulder  again;  but 
the  men  wear  nothing  above  their  hips. 

And  their  hair !  After  training  it  with 
the  help  of  stiff  black  oil  to  stand  erect, 
the  men  shave  theirs  all  off,  except  a 
circle  of  two  inches  in  diameter  on  the 
top,  which  they  crop  to  an  inch  in  length, 
just  as  the  gardener  does  his  grass-plats 
and  borders.  While  the  women,  a  little 
more  fanciful,  slope  their  tuft  of  hair 
from  the  centre  towards  the  edges;  then 
pulling  out  a  row  of  hairs,  so  as  to  leave 
a  thread-like  ring  around  it,  they  begin 
on  the  outer  side,  cut  close  to  the  head, 
gradually  increasing  the  length  to  a  half- 
inch,  then  sloping  away  on  the  other  side, 
so  as  to  give  the  top  of  the  head  the  ap- 


Siamese  woman  and  child.       p- 19. 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  19 

pearance  of  a  Liliputian  mound  encir- 
cled by  a  narrow  walk,  and  the  whole 
enclosed  by  a  rolling,  grass  border.  The 
rest  of  the  hair  is  cut  very  short,  but  not 
shaved. 

During  the  passage  to  Siam  little  Ku- 
fus  began  to  be  sick;  still  his  parents 
hoped  he  would  be  well  again  when  they 
landed.  But,  in  Bankok,  proper  food 
for  a  sickly  child  of  his  age  could  not  be 
obtained.  Neither  bread,  crackers,  nor 
flour  could  be  found  there;  and  the  lit- 
tle milk  which  could  be  procured  was 
spoiled,  after  three  or  four  hours,  from 
the  excessive  heat. 

All  this  time,  you  may  be  assured,  his 
parents  felt  a  deep  and  constant  anxiety 
for  him ;  such  anxiety  as  only  those  pa- 
rents know  who  see  their  children  grow- 
ing up  under  the  weakening  influences 
of  an  unhealthy  climate,  and,  more  than 
all,  in  the  midst  of  the  abominations  of 
heathenism.  As  soon  as  he  should  be 
old  enough  to  understand,  he  would  be 
exposed  to  hearing  the  filthy  conversa- 


20  RUFUS   HILL  : 

tion  of  those  by  whom  he  was  sur- 
rounded; he  might  see  them  steal;  hear 
them  tell  lies,  and  witness  many  of  those 
vile  actions  which  the  Bible  says  and 
which  we  know  the  heathen  practise. 

When  they  thought  of  all  this,  they 
felt  that  nothing  but  the  grace  of  God 
could  keep  their  dear  boy  from  following 
in  the  wicked  ways  of  those  about  him; 
for  in  this  country,  even  when  children 
associate  with  good  people,  and  have  good 
boys  and  girls  for  playmates,  they  some- 
times tell  lies,  and  steal,  and  do  many 
other  wicked  things. 

And  what  did  these  anxious  parents 
do?  Just  what  I  hope  every  Christian 
parent  does, — by  earnest  prayer  and  con- 
stant watchfulness  they  sought  to  train 
him  up  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord ;  striving 
to  seek  for  him  '''first  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  his  righteousness,"  being  as- 
sured that  all  other  things  should  be  ad- 
ded. And  did  Jesus  keep  him  from  the 
evil  example  of  those  around  him?  you 
ask.     We  shall  see  by  and  by. 


THE  MISSIONARY  CHILD.  21 

When  he  had  been  in  Siam  six  or 
eight  months  he  had  become  so  feeble  he 
could  not  sit  alone;  and  at  the  same  time 
both  his  parents  were  so  ill  that  he  was 
given  up  entirely  to  the  care  of  a  na- 
tive woman,  only  that  he  was  sometimes 
brought  and  laid  on  the  bed  beside  his 
mother,  which  he  thought  a  great  privi- 
lege. 

After  his  parents  were  able  to  go  out, 
they  w^ould  rise  early,  before  it  was  quite 
light,  and  give  him  a  ride  in  a  little  boat 
on  the  river,  hoping  the  early  morning 
air  might  benefit  him.  But  why  not  go 
in  a  carriage?  Because  in  the  city  of 
Bankok,  though  nearly  as  large  as  New 
York,  there  are  no  roads  except  such  as 
we  call  foot-paths ;  the  whole  width  be- 
tween the  houses  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
street  being  not  more  than  twelve  or  four- 
teen feet,  and  the  rolling  pavement  so  nar- 
row that  it  is  w^ith  the  utmost  difficulty 
two  can  walk  side  by  side.  However, 
this  does  not  incommode  the  Siamese,  for 
they  always  walk  single  file,  the  superior 


22  RUFUS    HILL: 

going  first,  and  the  others  following  in 
the  order  of  their  rank. 

But  the  people  walk  very  little.  The 
river,  which  runs  through  the  business 
part  of  the  city,  is  their  great  thorough- 
fare, and  the  canals  which  intersect,  not 
the  city  only,  but  the  whole  country,  an- 
swer the  purpose  of  roads.  These  canals 
are  not  like  ours;  they  are  simply  broad 
ditches  without  locks,  for  the  country  is 
so  level  there  is  no  need  of  locks.  Small 
row  boats  are  used  on  these  canals,  not 
large  ones  like  those  in  this  country. 

The  rides  of  little  Eufus  could  not  be 
more  than  an  hour  long;  for  by  that 
time  the  sun  was  so  hot  it  was  not  safe 
to  be  out.  Would  you  like  to  live  in  a 
country  where  'the  heat  of  the  sun  is  so 
powerful  you  could  not  play  out  of  doors 
except  in  the  morning  before  the  sun  is 
an  hour  high,  or  just  before  it  sets  at 
evenuig,  and  almost  without  twilight? 
Such  a  country  is  Siam,  and  such,  indeed, 
is  most  of  India,  where  so  many  mission- 
aries and  their  children  live. 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  23 

When  you  hear  of  missionaries  leaving 
our  pleasant  Christian  country,  and  go- 
ing far  away,  probably  never  to  return, 
do  you  ever  think  how  much  their  child- 
ren suffer — oftentimes  far  more  than 
their  parents — from  the  unhealthiness 
of  the  climate,  and  the  privations  inci- 
dent to  life  in  an  uncivilized  state  of  so- 
ciety? Whether  you  ever  thought  of  it 
or  not,  so  it  is.  In  such  countries  child- 
ren never  have  red  cheeks  and  full, 
healthy-looking  faces,  as  those  do  who 
live  in  a  cool  climate;  and  very  fre- 
quently it  is  found  necessary  to  send 
them  far,  far  away  from  their  dear  pa- 
rents, with  little  expectation  of  seeing 
them  again. 

When  Rufus  had  a  little  brother  he 
was  greatly  delighted,  and  looked  upon 
him  as  a  gift  from  God.  Though  he  had 
received  all  his  mother's  care  and  atten- 
tion before  this,  and  was  still  so  feeble 
that  he  could  not  sit  alone,  he  was  never 
willing  to  be  served  before  his  baby  bro- 
ther.    After  this  precious  treasure  was 


24  RUFUS   HILL: 

recalled  by  Him  who  gave  it,  Eufus  al- 
ways spoke  of  him  with  great  affection, 
and  used  to  call  him  '^  God's  Charlie." 

When  Charlie  was  about  a  month  old, 
his  parents  were  advised  to  take  him  on 
board  a  ship,  lying  outside  the  bar,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river  Meinam,  and  try 
the  effect  of  sea-air  for  a  few  days. 

You  will  remember  that  Bankok,  the 
caj)ital  of  Siam,  is  nearly  twenty  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  lying  on 
both  sides  of  the  Meinam ;  and  because 
the  water  is  so  shallow  over  the  bar, 
large  ships  often  discharge  and  take  in 
their  cargo  outside  of  it,  and  do  not  come 
up  to  the  city  at  all.  Foreigners  and  in- 
valids at  Bankok  frequently  spend  a  few 
days  on  board  ships  thus  waiting  for 
their  load  of  shipping. 

In  accordance  w'th  this  advice  the  pa- 
rents prepared  to  go.  They  obtained  a 
boat,  and  hired  six  men  to  row  it.  They 
took  rice  and  fish  for  the  men;  a  small 
box  of  medicines;  a  trunk  of  clothes,  for 
the  children   and  themselves;    cooking- 


THE    MISSIONARY    CHILD.  25 

utensilsj  and  food  enough  to  last  ten 
days;  for  they  were  going  to  a  Moham- 
medan ship,  and  the  Mussulmen  will  not 
allow  those  who  differ  from  them  in 
religion  to  eat  of  their  food,  use  their 
dishes,  or  cook  by  their  fire. 

About  four  in  the  afternoon  they 
started;  but  at  this  time  the  tide  from 
the  sea  came  rushing  up,  so  that  at  dark 
they  were  not  more  than  four  miles  from 
home.  Then  the  boatmen  must  eat  rice; 
so  they  drew  up  to  the  shore,  near  a 
zayat,  kindled  a  fire  on  the  bank,  took 
the  boiling  pot  from  the  boat,  cooked, 
and  ate  their  supper.  By  thi&  time  it 
began  to  rain,  and  the  sky  being  moon- 
less and  cloudy,  of  course  it  was  very 
dark.  But  the  boat  had  a  cover,  and 
under  it  sat  these  parents,  with  their  two 
children;  Rufus  too  feeble  to  sit  alone, 
and  his  little  brother  too  young  to  bear 
any  exposure  or  neglect,  and  his  mother 
had  not  walked  for  two  weeks  until  that 
day.  There  they  were,  with  no  j^rospect 
before  them  but  of  spending  the  night  in 


26  RUFUS  hill: 

this  uncomfortable  manner;  for,  even  if 
it  were  safe  to  proceed,  they  would  not 
be  able  to  see  the  ship,  which  would  be 
lying  eight  or  ten  miles  out  at  sea.  If 
they  stayed  in  their  boat  close  to  the  shore 
it  would  be  perfectly  safe;  but  then  how 
could  they  or  their  little  ones  endure  the 
musquitoes,  which  were  like  bees  around 
a  hive  in  a  warm  spring  day,  and  to  put 
up  the  musquito  curtains  was  quite  im- 
possible. In  this  boat — twenty  feet  long 
and  four  wide — were  twelve  persons,  in- 
cluding the  children,  and,  with  the  over- 
loaded boat,  the  darkness  was  so  intense 
that  the  steersman  at  the  stern  could  not 
see  those  who  were  rowing  at  the  bows. 

Missionaries  among  the  heathen  suffer 
many  and  great  inconveniences;  for, 
though  few  may  have  thought  of  it,  yet 
it  is  true  that  nearly  all  our  comforts  and 
luxuries  come  to  us  through  the  influence 
of  the  gospel  on  the  habits  of  men. 

It  was  also  dangerous  to  be  out  in  the 
excessive  darkness,  lest  they  should  be 
run   down  by  some  larger  boat,  or  the 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  27 

wind  might  rise,  as  it  often  did  at  night, 
and  the  river  become  so  rough,  that  in 
the  dark,  it  would  be  impossible  to  keep 
the  heavy  laden  boat  from  filling  with 
water  and  sinking. 

But  all  these  things  were  provided 
against  by  a  kind  overruling  Providence. 
While  the  men  were  eating  their  sup- 
pers, it  was  ascertained  that  an  impor- 
tant medicine  had  been  forgotten  by  the 
friend  who  packed  their  things.  Now 
their  way  seemed  plain;  when  their 
friends  advised  it,  they  thought  it  their 
duty  to  try  this  course,  for  the  benefit  of 
their  sick  child;  yet  when,  without  any 
fault  or  oversight  of  their  own,  the  indis- 
pensable medicine  had  been  forgotten, 
they  thought  it  equally  plain  they  should 
return. 

The  tide  had  now  turned,  and  the  cur- 
rent was  running  down  with  great  velo- 
city, which,  with  the  darkness,  made 
their  homeward  passage  slower  and  much 
more  dangerous  than  when  they  went 
down. 


28  RUFUS    HILL: 

It  proved  that  the  mistake  which 
caused  their  return  was  '^  all  for  the 
best," — as,  indeed,  all  things  are  ever 
known  to  be,  by  those  who  recognise  the 
hand  of  the  Lord  in  the  falling  of  a  spar- 
row; for  that  night  proved  so  tempest- 
uous that  little  else  than  a  miracle  could 
have  saved  their  small,  overloaded  boat 
from  destruction. 

A  few  weeks  after  this  some  of  the 
Siamese  told  the  native  who  owned  the 
mission  premises  that  if  he  allowed  the 
missionaries  to  remain  there  any  longer, 
they  would  inform  the  king,  and  imme- 
diate imprisonment  would  follow.  This 
was  quite  enough  to  frighten  a  Siamese, 
and  he  insisted  that  the  missionaries 
should  leave  the  place  at  once. 

But  where  were  they  to  go?  Who,, 
after  this  threat,  would  let  them  have  a 
house?  And  if  they  could  get  one,  it 
would  not  be  as  large  or  convenient  as 
many  an  American  farmer's  pig-sty. 
But  by  the  good  providence  of  God,  they 
and  their  sick,   and  almost  dying  chil- 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  29 

dren  were  not  turned  out  without  shel- 
ter into  the  burning  heat  of  a  tropical 
sun.  Before  night  came  a  place  was 
provided,  in  which  they  could  lay  their 
weary  heads. 

The  only  English  gentleman  in  Ban- 
kok  did  what  he  could  to  assist  in  this 
time  of  need.  May  the  Lord  reward 
him !  Mr.  H.  rented  them  a  small  board 
house,  and  sold  them  a  smaller  floating 
one,  and  another  was  hired  of  an  Indo- 
Portuguese;  so  all  the  families  found 
places,  which  would  at  least  shelter  them 
from  the  sun  and  rain. 

During  these  scenes  of  trial  Rufus  con- 
tinued very  ill,  and  a  little  daughter  of 
one  of  the  other  missionaries  was  lying 
at  the  point  of  death.  When  they  left 
their  home  it  was  doubtful  whether  the 
child  could  live  through  a  removal ;  but 
she  was  spared  to  linger  through  another 
period  of  twenty-four  hours,  and  then 
entered  that  house  with  many  mansions, 
which  Christ  has  prepared  for  those 
that  love  him. 

3* 


30  EUFUS   HILL: 

This  little  girl  ^vas  one  of  the  only 
two  plaj'mates  Eufus  ever  had.  The 
other  was  a  little  boy,  whose  mother, 
not  long  after  this,  was  taken  away  by 
death,  which  obliged  the  desolate  father 
to  send  him,  together  with  his  baby  sis- 
ter, to  friends  in  this  country;  for  chil- 
dren cannot  remain  among  the  heathen 
without  a  faithful  mother  to  watch  over 
both  their  health  and  habits. 

Did  you  ever  ask  yourselves  such  ques- 
tions as  these? — 

What  should  I  now  be,  had  no  kind 
Christian  parents  or  friends  guided  and  in- 
structed me  ?  Had  I  no  Bible,  no  Sunday- 
school,  no  Christian  influence  of  any  kind 
to  lead  me  in  the  right  way?  Suppose 
you  had  never  been  taught  that  it  is  a 
wicked  thing  to  swear,  lie,  steal,  break 
the  Sabbath,  quarrel,  and  disobey  your 
parents;  what  kind  of  children  do  you 
think  you  would  have  been  ?  Would  you 
be  kind,  gentle,  loveh%  and  pure,  prac- 
tising those  things  which  are  of  good  re- 
port?   What  you  would  be  without  these 


THE   MISSIONARY    CHILD.  31 

restraining  influences^  such  the  heathen 
children  are,  and  with  such  vile  compa- 
nions no  Christian  parents  can  permit 
their  children  to  associate;  therefore, 
when  mothers  are  taken  away  from  their 
families,  there  is  no  alternative  but  to 
send  them  liome,  as  the  parents'  native 
land  is  called. 

A  few  months  later  another  effort  w^as 
made  to  give  Kufus  the  benefit  of  sea-air, 
by  spending  a  few  days  in  a  ship,  lying 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  inside  the 
"  bar." 

Now,  as  before,  they  w^ere  obliged  to 
fit  themselves  out  with  provisions,  cook- 
ing-utensils, and  indeed  every  thing  indis- 
pensable for  a  two  weeks'  stay  in  a  Mo- 
hammedan ship. 

They  left  home  a  little  after  midnight, 
for  the  double  purpose  of  reaching  the 
ship  before  the  noon-day  heat,  and  also 
before  the  sea-breeze  came  in,  which  of- 
ten made  the  river  so  rough  near  the 
mouth  as  to  endanger  small  boats. 

That  was  a  deHghtful  morning.     The 


32  RUFUS   HILL: 

splendour  of  a  clear,  southern  starlight 
glowed  from  the  firmament  above,  and 
was  reflected  back  from  the  deep,  unruf- 
fled bosom  of  the  beautiful  Meinam  be- 
neath. All  nature  seemed  wrapt  in  calm 
repose,  as  that  little  boat,  with  its  pre- 
cious freight,  shot  swiftly  and  silently 
along,  obedient  to  the  measured  dip  of 
the  rower's  oar. 

By  and  by  a  faint  gleam  of  light  was 
seen  in  the  east,  and  in  a  few  moments 
after,  the  sun,  with  a  suddenness  peculiar 
to  tropical  regions,  seemed  to  leap  at  once 
into  the  horizon,  casting  a  soft,  mellow 
light  over  the  unbroken  level  of  the  sur- 
rounding landscape. 

The  light  revealed  to  the  eye  of  the 
voyagers  many  objects  of  interest.  Quite 
in  the  water's  edge  grew  the  tall,  trunk- 
less  Altap  leaf;  a  little  farther  back  was 
the  slim,  straight  bamboo,  crowned  with 
its  osier-like  branches  and  tiny  leaves; 
while  here  and  there,  of  still  greater 
height  and  sturdier  growth,  were  clusters 
of  forest  trees,  entwined  and  matted  to- 


The  Areha  Palm  of  Siam-       p.  33. 


THE    MISSIONARY    CHILD.  33 

gether  by  creeping  cane  and  clinging  ivy, 
until  the  enclosure  seemed  wholly  imper- 
vious to  man  or  beast.  Then  would 
open  to  view  a  straight,  narrow  canal, 
shooting  off  through  the  dense  jungle  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  trace  so  narrow  a 
channel,  completely  overarched  with  pen- 
dent branches  and  clustering  vines. 

Tall  trees  formed  a  natural  lattice, 
which,  from  top  to  bottom,  was  covered 
with  festoons  of  the  beautiful  morning- 
glory,  making  a  complete  wall  of  flowers 
many  rods  in  length;  while,  ever  and 
anon,  some  little  opening  in  the  shrub- 
bery would  disclose,  far  in  the  back- 
ground, huts,  gardens,  and  domestic  ani- 
mals, with  all  other  appurtenances  inci- 
dent to  Siamese  country-life.  And,  still 
beyond  all  this,  the  tall  cocoanut  and  be- 
tel reared  their  graceful  heads,  and  spread 
abroad  their  long  fringe-like  leaves,  whis- 
pering to  the  passer-by,  "  We  dwell  in 
the  land  where  nature  loads  the  earth 
with  such  an  entangled  and  matted  mass 
of  trunks  and  stems,  of  twining  wreaths 


34  RUFUS    HILL: 

and  vines,  that  man  is  almost  excluded 
from  the  scene." 

As  these  views  faded  away  in  quick  suc- 
cession before  the  delighted  eye,  the  boat, 
wath  a  favouring  tide,  was  making  rapid 
progress  on  its  destined  way,  when,  sud- 
denly rounding  a  bend  in  the  shore,  they 
came  in  full  view  of  the  ship,  lying  about 
two  miles  below;  at  the  same  moment 
encountering  so  fierce  a  rush  of  wind  and 
waves  as  seemed  to  render  their  destruc- 
tion all  but  inevitable.  They  could  not 
turn  in  to  the  shore,  lest  the  boat  should 
capsize  in  the  trough  of  the  sea;  they 
could  not  retrace  their  way,  for  there  was 
the  same  danger  in  turning  the  boat.  To 
go  forward  w^as  the  only  course.  But, 
amid  this  wild  confusion  of  wind  and 
waves,  could  the  helmsman  steer  so  ex- 
actly as  to  come  alongside  the  ship? 
Should  they  go  a  few  feet  too  far  to  the 
left,  the  force  of  the  current  w^ould  dash 
them  to  pieces  against  her  bows.  Should 
they  go  the  same  distance  too  far  to  the 
right,  a  rope  could  not  be  thrown  to  them 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  35 

from  the  ship,  in  which  case  they  must 
be  carried  out  to  sea,  where,  in  the  pre- 
sent state  of  the  wind  and  waves,  certain 
destruction  awaited  them.  But  through 
the  kindness  of  Him  who  holds  in  his 
hand  the  winds  and  the  waves  and 
calms  the  raging  of  the  sea,  they  reached 
the  ship  in  safety  about  eight  o'clock  in 
the  morning. 

A  few  days  after,  the  anchor  was 
raised  and  the  sails  spread,  and  the  ship 
rode  out  into  the  Gulf  of  Siam,  about 
twelve  miles.  Here  the  mother  and 
children  remained  two  weeks,  and  the 
sea-air  proved  very  beneJQcial  to  little 
Rufus. 

But  now  the  vessel  was  to  sail  for  her 
far-off  home,  in  Bombay;  so  they  got  in- 
to her  long  boat — which  of  itself  was  al- 
most a  small  ship — with  twelve  dark, 
savage-looking  Lascars,  to  return  to  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  where  the  father  was 
to  meet  them,  and  take  them  back  to 
Bankok.  He  could  not  go  to  the  ship,  for 
the  river  boats  are  too  small  to  live  in 


36  BUFUS   HILL: 

the  high   sea-waves;    so  he  waited   for 
them  at  Paknam. 

When  they  left  the  ship  they  expected 
to  be  in  the  river  in  two  or  three  hours. 
They  took  nothing  to  eat  with  them,  ex- 
cept a  few  crackers  for  Kufus.  The  boat 
flew  along  as  if  carried  on  the  wings  of 
the  windj  and  in  a  short  time  they  found 
themselves  almost  within  reach  of  the 
luxuriant  shrubbery  on  the  shore.  But, 
where  were  they?  Not  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  to  be  sure.  No,  far  from  it. 
These  Bengalese — never  very  thoughtful 
or  far-sighted — had  not  taken  into  the 
account,  that  at  that  hour  of  the  morn- 
ing the  receding  tide  permitted  the  water 
of  the  river  to  run  with  a  strong  current 
far  out  into  the  gulf;  and,  though  the 
wind  might  be  strong  enough  to  carry 
them  northward  toward  the  land  in  spite 
of  the  tide,  yet  the  current,  spreading  out 
strong  and  wide  from  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  would  carry  them  with  a  swift  but 
imperceptible  sideway  motion  to  the 
westward.     However,  such  proved  to  be 


THE    MISSIONARY   CHILD.  37 

tlie  fact;  and  when  they  reached  the 
kind  not  one  could  conjecture  how  far 
they  might  be  from  the  mouth  of  the 
river!  But  the  wind  soon  died  away, 
and  then,  with  all  the  stupid  patience  for 
which  the  natives  of  India  are  so  re- 
markable, they  betook  themselves  to 
their  oars,  and  made  sure  but  slow  pro- 
gress toward  the  mouth  of  the  river. 

By  this  time  the  sun  had  become  ex- 
ceedingly hot;  but  there  was  an  umbrel- 
la in  the  boat,  and  Kufus  and  his  baby- 
brother  were  huddled  under  it,  as  best 
they  could  be;  but  so  intense  was  the 
heat,  that,  throughout  the  w^hole  day, 
they  seemed  like  plucked  flowers  in  the 
scorching  rays  of  a  mid-day  sun,  ready 
to  wither  and  die,  and  great  was  their 
mother's  anxiety  on  their  account,  you 
may  be  assured. 

At  length,  just  as  the  sun  was  setting, 
they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  river. 
Here  the  Lascars  run  the  boat  on  a  sand- 
bank; but,  after  some  delay,  pulled  off 
again,  and  passed  just  around  the  point 


38  KUFUS  hill:  ^ 

on  the  lee-shore,  when  they  again  ran 
aground,  and  made  no  more  effort  to  get 
loose  that  night,  though  the  ship,  lying 
in  the  river,  which  they  wished  to  reach, 
was  not  more  than  a  mile  away,  and  in 
plain  sight. 

Now,  it  was  certain  the  whole  com- 
pany must  sleep  in  the  open  boat  that 
night.  The  Lascars  cooked  their  rice 
and  fish,  which,  after  pouring  it  into  a 
large  dish,  they  placed  on  the  bottom  of 
the  boat,  and  then  gathering  around, 
each  helped  himself,  using  his  hand  for 
knife,  fork,  and  spoon.  After  they  had 
supped,  they  offered  their  passengers 
some;  and  little  Kufus,  who  was  very 
hungry,  gladly  accepted  the  invitation 
to  eat,  but  his  mother  did  not  think  it 
prudent  for  him  to  partake  of  the  meal, 
and  so  concluded  to  wait  till  morning. 

Soon  after  they  laid  their  miniature 
mast  across  the  boat,  from  the  stern  to 
the  bows  for  a  ridge  pole;  then  throw- 
ing a  sail  over  it  for  a  roof,  asked  "Mem" 
and  the  children  to  sleep  under  the  awn- 


THE    MISSIONAKY   CHILD.  39 

ingj  v/hile  they  laid  themselves  down  to 
their  own  slumbers  in  the  open  air.  By 
this  time  it  had  become  cool,  and  the 
children  slept  sweetly,  wdiile  their  mo- 
ther watched  beside  them. 

Just  look  for  a  moment  at  this  singu- 
lar scene  1  There  lay  the  Lascars,  with 
their  black,  fierce-looking  faces,  and  half- 
covered  bodies,  fast  asleep.  Here  lay 
two  little  helpless,  pale-faced  children, 
and  there  sat  their  lonely,  wearied,  care- 
worn mother,  keeping  her  vigilant  night- 
watch  by  their  side;  while  the  blowing 
of  the  porpoises,  and  the  appearance  of 
some  uncouth  inhabitant  of  the  deep,  on 
the  one  hand,  and  the  dark,  thick,  wild 
jungle,  wdthin  a  stone's  throw,  on  the 
other,  rendered  the  gloom  doubly  gloomy. 
And  what  were  that  mother's  thoughts 
during  those  hours  of  the  night?  Did 
she  think  of  the  dear  cottage  home,  in 
America:  of  the  kind,  and  ever-watchful 
parents  there;  of  the  loved  brothers  and 
sisters;  of  the  light  and  joyousness 
which    had  ever  surrounded    her  patli; 


40  RUFUS    HILL: 

of  the  home  and  friends  she  might  have 
called  her  own,  had  she  chosen  to  re- 
main in  her  own  native  land?  Yes,  she 
thought  of  all  these  things,  and  thanked 
her  God  and  Saviour  that  he  had  so  ho- 
noured her,  as  to  allow  her  to  leave  all 
these  comforts  for  his  sake. 

At  length  morning  appeared.  Then 
the  boatmen  must  cook,  and  eat  rice  be- 
fore they  could  leave  their  moorings.  In 
the  kindness  of  their  hearts  (for  these 
people  are  frequently  very  kind)  they  in- 
sisted that  their  passengers  should  eat 
now;  but  the  sight  of  their  cooking  ope- 
rations, together  with  her  anxiety  for  the 
children,  had  completely  destroyed  her 
appetite. 

By  the  time  they  had  eaten,  the  tide 
had  turned,  and  the  wind  was  directly 
against  them;  so,  after  several  fruitless 
efforts  to  get  under  way,  they  concluded 
to  wait  until  afternoon,  when  they  ex- 
pected the  tide  would  turn,  so  they  could 
pull  up  to  the  ship.  So  here  they  were 
obliged  to  sit,  another  live-long  day,  in 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  41 

the  burning  sun,  within  sight  of  the  ship, 
where  the  husband  and  father  was  wait- 
ing for  them  in  great  anxiety.  But  every 
unpleasant  road  has  an  end;  so,  just  at 
sunset,  they  found  themselves  safely  at 
the  desired  place,  though  almost  worn 
out  with  fatigue,  heat  and  hunger. 

After  dining  on  board,  they  seated 
themselves  in  their  small  boat,  and 
started  for  home,  twenty  miles  up  the 
river,  just  at  dusk.  They  soon  found 
their  frail  craft — which  contained  four- 
teen persons,  beside  their  baggage — had 
sprung  some  of  her  seams,  and  the  water 
came  in  so  fast  that  constant  baling 
could  scarcely  keep  her  in  safety.  But 
without  serious  accident  they  reached 
home  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Next  day  a  paralysis  of  the  neck  came 

upon  Rufus,  in  consequence  of  being  so 

long  exposed  to  the  heat,  and,  for  some 

days,  he  was  worse  than  before  he  went 

to  the  ship.     Little  Charlie's  face  was 

blistered  too,  and,  in  a  short  time,  most 

of  the  skin  came  off. 
4* 


42  RUFUS    HILL: 

But  uncomfortable  and  tedious,  as  was 
the  return  from  the  ship  to  the  shore, 
when  the  mother  and  children  came, 
they  had  great  cause  of  thankfulness  that 
it  was  no  worse;  for  the  very  next  time 
those  Lascars  undertook  to  row  that  boat 
from  the  ship  to  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
through  their  carelessness,  the  current 
carried  them  a  long  way  down  the  coast, 
and,  not  knowing  where  they  were,  it 
was  three  weeks  before  they  got  back  to 
the  mouth  of  the  river!  Surely  God 
sets  bounds  to  the  trials  of  his  people. 
Neither  of  the  children  could  have  lived 
in  an  open  boat,  exposed  to  such  hard- 
ships for  that  length  of  time. 

While  Rufus  and  his  little  brother  were 
suffering  so  much  from  the  heat  during 
the  day  the  boat  lay  at  Paknam,  as  I 
mentioned  before,  great  numbers  of  small 
Siamese  fishing  boats  passed  up  the  river 
close  by  the  ship,  which  they  were  de- 
siring to  reach;  but  not  one  man  could 
be  persuaded  (for  pity  or  pay)  to  carry 
a  note  to  the  captain  requesting  him  to 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  43 

send  a  boat  for  these  children  and  their 
mother. 

The  Bible  says,  "  the  dark  places  of 
the  earth  are  full  of  the  habitations  of 
cruelty;"  and  here  you  see  it  proved. 

The  Siamese  would  not  do  this  small 
favour,  though  they  were  told  how  much 
the  poor  little  children  were  suffering 
from  heat  and  hunger.  Perhaps  you 
never  think  why  it  is  that  neighbours 
and  friends  nurse  and  watch  the  sick 
with  so  much  kindness  and  care;  but  I 
can  tell  you,  it  is  the  influence  of  the 
gospel  which  so  softens  and  refines  society, 
that  those  even  who  do  not  love  the  Sa- 
viour, bear  no  resemblance  to  the  hea- 
then in  their  social  relations. 

Had  you  been  born  a  heathen  in  Siam, 
no  one,  except  your  parents,  would  ever 
trouble  themselves  to  care  for  you  when 
sick ;  and  even  then,  your  mother,  who  is 
now  so  kind,  so  gentle,  so  patient,  so 
watchful,  might  lie  and  sleej^  all  night, 
while  you  were  by  her  side  crying  with 
pain.     These  things  my  own  eyes  have 


44  RUFUS   HILL: 

seen,  and  my  own  ears  have  heard;  yet 
no  heathen  nation  has  been  found  with 
less  of  cruelty  in  their  political  and  do- 
mestic relations,  than  the  Siamese. 

Perhaps,  by  this  time,  you  will  wish 
me  to  go  on  with  my  story. 

Little  Kufus  was  taken  to  the  ship,  as 
I  told  you,  just  at  the  commencement  of 
the  cool  season,  which  is  such  w^eather 
as  we  have  here  in  July  and  August;  I 
mean  the  days  were  so,  for  the  nights 
are  hotter  there  than  any  we  ever  have 
in  this  country. 

During  this  season  of  six  or  eight 
weeks,  Eufus  was  better;  but,  with  the 
hot,  dry  season  which  followed,  his  dis- 
ease returned,  and  his  little  brother,  who 
had  always  been  so  healthy  and  happy, 
sickened,  and,  ere  his  parents  were 
alarmed,  his  disease  assumed  a  fatal 
form,  and  in  a  few  days  this  sweet  little 
baby  w^as  transferred  to  the  fold  of  the 
Good  Shepherd! 

Thus  Rufus  was  left — the  only  child 
of  his  afflicted  parents — and,  by  his  per- 


THE  MISSIONARY   CHILD.  45 

feet  obedienee  and  quiet,  manly  conduct, 
he  proved  a  great  comfort  to  them.  Still 
he  continued  ill,  and  became  emaciated 
to  a  degree  which  few  of  us  had  ever  be- 
fore seen;  and  his  wrinkled,  anxious- 
looking  face  plainly  indicated  that  dis- 
ease had  taken  a  strong  and  fast  hold  of 
his  infant  frame.  He  was  so  feeble,  that 
from  the  time  he  was  fourteen  months 
old  until  he  was  nearly  three  years,  he 
did  not  walk  at  all. 

When,  some  months  after  the  death 
of  Charlie,  God  gave  him  another  bro- 
ther, he  was  delighted,  but  looked  upon 
him  as  a  precious  gift,  over  which  he 
was  to  watch  and  for  wdiich  he  w^as  to 
take  care,  rather  than  as  a  companion 
and  playmate,  like  the  other.  He  took 
ceaseless  care  of  this  little  brother,  al- 
ways noticing  it  if  he  was  disposed  to  do 
mischief,  or  said  any  improper  words. 
There  often  is  difficulty  in  keej^ing  the 
children  of  missionaries,  when  they  first 
begin  to  talk — before  they  fully  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  what  they  say — 


46  RUFUS   HILL: 

from  using  words  which  the  Bible  classes 
under  the  head,  of  "  the  filthy  conversa- 
tion of  the  heathen." 

For  this  and  similar  causes,  missionary 
mothers  have  found  it  necessary  to  keep 
their  children  constantly  with  them,  and 
they  have  succeeded — at  least  in  Siam — 
in  preserving  their  children  from  the  de- 
grading habits  and  conversation  of  the 
heathen;  for  no  better  or  prettier  chil- 
dren can  be  found  in  this  country  than 
those  dear  ones,  born  and  trained  through 
their  infantile  years,  in  Siam.  In  that 
country  native  mothers  often  teach  their 
lisping  little  children  the  whole  round  of 
vile  and  abusive  language,  that  they  may 
be  laughed  at  as  witty ! 

When  Kufus  was  three  years  old  his 
parents  took  him  a  short  voyage  to  Sin- 
gapore, which  you  remember  was  the 
place  of  his  birth.  There  they  found 
kind  friends  to  welcome  them,  and  make 
their  visit  both  pleasant  and  profitable. 

Here  every  thing  was  new  and  strange 
to   Eufus — so   many  white  people — sol- 


Siamese  potatoe-       p.  47* 


THE   MISSIONARY  CHILD.  47 

diers  in  uniform — horses  drawing  palan- 
keens— buffaloes  drawing  carts,  &c.  The 
large,  elegant  houses,  too,  were  a  won- 
der. He  had  seen  only  the  small,  rude 
places  which  the  missionaries  lived  in  at 
Bankok;  and,  indeed,  every  thing  was  as 
new  to  him  then  as  Bankok,  with  its 
strange-looking  houses,  temples,  and  peo- 
ple, would  be  to  you.  Here  were  play- 
mates for  Kufus,  and  he  enjoyed  them 
as  much  as  any  other  little  boy  could  en- 
joy them. 

Very  soon  his  health  began  to  im- 
prove, for  here  the  heat  was  not  so  in- 
tense as  in  Siam;  and  here,  too,  he  had 
good,  nice,  fresh  bread,  so  that  he  was  not 
obliged  to  eat  rice  or  rice-cakes  all  the  time, 
as  he  was  before  when  there  was  no  bread 
or  flour.  Whatever  may  be  thought  of 
rice  as  a  diet  for  the  sick  here,  the  expe- 
rience of  years  has  proved  that  invalid 
foreigners,  in  a  hot  climate,  cannot  use  it 
as  the  only  food. 

But  to  return.  For  some  time  his  en- 
tire restoration  seemed  doubtful,  and  a 


48  RUFUS  hill: 

favourable  opportunity  offered  for  him  to 
be  brought  to  the  United  States.  All  the 
physicians  who  were  consulted  on  the  sub- 
ject being  fully  satisfied  that  a  residence 
in  a  cool  climate  w^ould  be  the  only  sure 
means  of  his  perfect  recovery,  his  pa- 
rents finally  concluded  to  embrace  the  op- 
portunity of  sending  him  to  their  far-off 
friends. 

But  their  kind  heavenly  Father  would 
spare  them  this  trial.  Kufus's  health  im- 
proved rapidly  from  that  time,  and  be- 
fore the  time  came  for  him  to  embark, 
he  was  considered  well. 

The  object  of  their  visit  to  Singapore 
being  thus  accomplished,  they  returned 
to  Siam,  after  an  absence  of  several 
months;  happy  to  be  at  home  again,  to 
meet  their  missionary  associates,  and  be 
among  the  particular  people  for  whom 
they  laboured. 

When  they  arrived,  the  mission-houses, 
which  had  been  built  by  order  of  the 
king,  were  so  nearly  completed  that  they 
went  into  them  immediately.    The  house 


^^'   vV^^\f^\|\# 


THE  MISSIONARY  CHILD.  49 

on  tlie  left  hand  of  the  cut  was  little  Ru- 
fus's  home.  Even  now  I  seem  to  see  liim 
on  the  broad,  open  verandah  in  front, 
playing  with  his  baby-brother,  or  with 
each  tiny  hand  on  a  baluster,  peeping  his 
face  between,  watching  the  people  as  they 
land,  and  come  up  by  the  floating  wharf, 
which  you  see  running  from  the  gate 
down  into  the  river.  Or  you  might  see 
them  at  another  time,  looking  and  listen- 
ing, as  the  pedlars  (a  little  way  from  the 
shore)  row  their  boats  up  and  down,  crying 
their  wares  in  the  most  approved  sing- 
song tone,  which  can  be  understood  only 
by  those  long  accustomed  to  the  sound; 
or,  admiring  the  beautiful  scarlet  flowers 
of  the  pomegranate  tree,  which  stands 
just  by  the  right  side  of  the  stairs;  or, 
as  he  looks  at  the  splendid  aloe  plant, 
wondering  what  is  put  into  the  extract 
to  make  it  "taste  so  bad." 

That  house,  with  its  tiled  roof,  its 
coarse,  basket-work  ceiling,  and  its  sides 
of  rough,  dark,  teak  boards,  put  on  up 
and  down,   like  a  country  barn,  was  a 


50  RUFUS    HILL: 

happy  home  to  this  dear  child ;  for  there 
dwelt  hearts  filled  with  love  to  God,  their 
fellow-men,  and  each  other.  With  these, 
a  hovel  may  become  the  abode  of  happi- 
ness; without  them,  a  palace  is  only  the 
dwelling-place  of  misery. 

At  Siam  they  found  a  barrel  of  flour, 
which  had  been  sent  from  Boston  for 
them;  and  while  it  lasted  Eufus  con- 
tinued well,  though  it  was  the  most  un- 
healthy season  of  the  year;  but  as  soon 
as  he  was  obliged  to  return  to  a  rice  diet, 
his  disease  returned,  and  very  soon  he 
was  as  ill  as  before  he  was  taken  to  Sin- 
gaj)ore. 

About  this  time  he  told — what  is  be- 
lieved to  be — his  first  and  only  lie.  He 
was  very  fond  of  assisting  in  little  things 
about  the  house,  and  frequently  put  the 
dishes  upon  the  table,  preparatory  to  a 
meal.  One  day,  while  engaged  in  this 
way,  he  took  a  rice  cake  from  the  cup- 
board, and  ate  it.  In  that  climate,  and 
particularly  in  the  case  of  feeble  chil- 
dren, eating  between  meals  could  never  be 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  51 

allowed,  and,  for  this  reason,  he  had  been 
forbidden  to  help  himself  to  food  when 
he  pleased;  this  he  understood.  A  na- 
tive woman  saw  him,  and  told  his  mo- 
ther. He  denied  eating  it.  His  mother 
took  him  away  by  himself,  told  him  what 
a  great  sin  he  had  committed,  first,  in 
disobeying  his  parents,  and  then  in  deny- 
ing the  fact.  He  seemed  horror-stricken 
at  the  thought.  He  wished  to  pray  that 
God  would  forgive  him,  and  showed  signs 
of  sincere  repentance.  After  that,  he 
was  never  known  to  tell  an  untruth,  or 
to  eat  without  permission,  though  to  the 
latter  offence  he  was  peculiarly  tempted; 
for,  from  the  nature  of  his  disease  he  suf- 
fered constantly  from  hunger,  and  for 
years  ate  according  to  the  discretion  of 
his  parents,  and  not  according  to  his  ap- 
petite. 

He  was  accustomed  to  witness  scenes 
of  idolatrous  feasting  and  amusement, 
as  the  processions  passed  by  or  near 
the  house.  He  used  to  go  to  play  in 
the  grounds  around  the  temples,   these 


52  RUFUS   HILL  : 

being  the  only  places  where  cleanliness 
prevailed,  and  which  dogs  were  not  allowed 
to  enter.  He  had  frequently  seen  their 
idols,  and  often  expressed  a  dislike  to 
passing  one  forty  or  fifty  feet  high  which 
stood  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  a  short 
distance  from  the  house.  Still  he  did 
not  seem  to  comprehend  why  they  were 
made,  or  the  purpose  for  which  they  were 
used,  until  one  evening,  when  about  ^ve 
years  old,  his  mother  was  leading  him 
past  one  of  their  temples,  situated  in  a 
beautiful,  retired  grove,  when  he  heard 
the  Buddhist  priests  reciting,  or  rather 
croaking  out  their  prayers.  He  in- 
quired, with  fear  and  wonder,  what  the 
noise  was  ?  The  answer  to  that  question 
made  an  indelible  impression  on  his 
heart,  and  he  afterwards  expressed  the 
oft-repeated  wish,  that  his  parents,  his 
friends,  and  himself  should  ever  remem- 
ber to  pray  for  "  the  poor  people  who 
prayed  to  idols." 

The  next  year  after  their  visit  to  Sin- 
gapore, the  parents  of  Kufus,  together 


"^fti- 


-rfim^  'V 


Durian  Tree-       P-  54- 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  5 


with  the  family  of  Dr.  T.,  (one  of  the 
missionary  physicians,)  went  to  stay  a 
few  months  at  a  place  on  the  sea-coast, 
about  sixty  miles  from  Bankok,  hoping 
the  sea-air  would  benefit  both  Mrs.  T. 
and  little  Kufus. 

The  two  missionaries  had  been  there 
and  put  up  a  shelter  to  protect  their  fa- 
milies from  the  sun  and  rain,  for  it 
could  hardly  be  called  a  house.  Tall, 
slim  trees  were  cut,  and  trimmed,  and 
made  fast  in  the  ground;  then  poles  of 
bamboo  tied  across  at  the  top,  and  all 
this  top  and  sides  thatched  with  leaves, 
resembling  corn  leaves,  only  larger.  There 
was  not  one  nail  in  all  the  outside,  and 
only  ten  spikes  in  the  whole  fabric.  It 
was  fastened  together  by  rattans.  For  a 
floor  they  threw  sand  on  the  rock,  then 
plastered  it  over,  after  which  it  was 
covered  with  a  mat. 

When  the  house  was  finished,  the  mis- 
sionaries returned  to  Bankok;  and,  after 
packing  up  a  fevf  articles  of  household 
furniture,  took  their  families,  and  at  sunset 


54  RUFUS   HILL: 

left  the  place  in  a  tinj  little  sloop  which 
was  used  for  running  up  and  down  the 
river.  Thej  arrived  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river  next  morning,  and  soon  put 
out  to  sea  to  cross  over  to  the  eastern 
coast  of  the  Gulf  of  Siam  to  a  point 
about  sixty  miles  distant.  Towards  even- 
ing the  wind  rose  to  a  gale,  and  their 
little  bark  danced  like  a  feather  upon 
the  white-crested  waves;  but,  through 
the  watchful  care  of  their  heavenly  Pilot, 
they  reached  the  shore  before  morning, 
when  they  anchored,  and  remained  until 
after  breakfast,  and  then  went  to  their 
new  home.  I  wish  you  could  have  seen 
it  just  as  it  then  was.  This  was  in 
March,  1839,  and  the  very  night  in 
w^hich  south-eastern  Asia  was  visited  by 
that  severe  earthquake  which  destroyed 
so  many  heathen  temples  in  Burmah. 

Here  they  found  a  different  country 
from  Bankok  and  its  vicinity.  At  this 
place  were  hills,  large  forest  trees,  and 
immense  rocks  of  coarse  granite.  At  one 
place  was  a  large  fissure  in  the  rock,  re- 


Jack  fruit  tree.        p.  55. 


THE    MISSIONARY  CHILD.  55 

sembliiig  an  immense  basin,  from  which 
the  place  took  its  name:  Ang  Hin,  or 
Jar  of  Stone. 

Here  also  were  extensive  gardens  of 
fruits,  as  the  bananas,  or  plantains,  man- 
goes, oranges,  pine-a^^ples,  and,  a  little 
farther  down  the  coast,  groves  of  durian. 
This  latter  fruit  grows  on  large  trees,  like 
common  forest-trees.  The  Siamese  and 
Malays  esteem  it  very  highly,  and  so  do 
foreigners,  if  they  eat  it  at  all.  Those 
who  do  not  like  it,  even  to  craving,  feel 
a  great  loathing  of  it,  and  insist  that  it 
smells  like  decayed  onions. 

Trees  (beside  fruit  trees)  grew  all  about 
here.  Among  them  was  the  tall,  slim 
bamboo,  which,  when  it  is  thirty  or  forty 
feet  high,  is  so  small  around  that  you 
might  encircle  it  with  your  two  little 
hands. 

All  this  was  as  much  of  a  change  to 
Eufus  as  the  country  is  to  a  New  York 
or  Philadelphia  child. 

There  little  Eufus  had  the  benefit  of 
sea  air,  and  an  opportunity  of  playing 


56  KUFUS    HILL: 

on  the  seashore  during  the  latter  part  of 
the  day. 

The  people  did  not  travel  in  boats,  as 
in  Bankok,  but  in  carts  drawn  by  Indian 
buffaloes  or  on  their  backs.  Sometimes 
they  use  elephants.  The  Indian  buffa- 
loes are  not  at  all  like  the  animals  we 
call  by  the  same  name.  They  are  very 
much  like  an  ox,  only  larger,  wdth  wide- 
spreading,  fierce-looking  horns.  Their 
hair — the  little  they  have — is  of  a  mouse 
colour.  Elephants  are  very  cheap  there. 
A  small  one,  such  as  are  usually  seen  in 
caravans  here,  might  be  bought  for 
twenty-five  or  thirty  dollars. 

At  this  place  the  people  were  very 
civil,  though  they  huddled  around  the 
missionaries  in  perfect  astonishment  at 
seeing  the  white  women  and  children. 
The  light  hair  of  the  latter  was  an  ob- 
ject of  special  wonder.  For  the  first  few 
days  they  would  collect  about  the  door 
by  dozens;  even  the  sick  and  infirm 
could  not  stay  away,  and  many  came 
while  yet  covered  with  the  small-pox,  be- 


THE    MISSIONARY    CHILD.  57 

ing  unable  to  restrain  their  curiosity  any 
longer.  When  spoken  to  on  ordinary 
subjects  they  appeared  polite  and  intelli- 
gent; but  when  Christ  and  his  salvation 
were  mentioned,  their  stupid,  vacant 
stare,  or  quick  departure,  showed  how 
dark  their  minds  were,  and  how  willing 
they  were  to  have  them  so. 

The  two  families  enjoyed  the  fresh  sea- 
breeze  and  the  hilly  country  very  much. 
In  the  cool  of  the  day  they  would  ram- 
ble along  the  shore,  while  the  children 
dug  in  the  sand,  ran  and  jumped  on  the 
rocks,  or  picked  shells  from  the  water's 
edge. 

But  it  was  all  to  no  purpose  so  far  as 
the  invalids  were  concerned ;  and  Dr.  T. 
finally  determined  to  return  to  America 
with  his  suffering  wife.  Rufus  continued 
to  have  repeated  attacks  of  his  old  com- 
plaint, and  in  no  way  seemed  benefitted. 
Dr.  T.  seeing  this,  offered  to  take  him 
with  his  own  family,  and  see  him  safely 
in  the  care  of  his  grand-parents  in  this 
country. 


58  RUFUS   HILL: 

It  is  not  easy  to  conceive  how  these 
fond  parents  felt  when  the  question  was 
seriously  agitated,  shall  we  send  this  fee- 
ble, sickly  child,  not  yet  past  infancy, 
far,  far  away,  never  to  see  him  again  in 
this  w^orld?  But  there  was  no  prospect 
of  his  recovery  in  that  hot  climate,  and 
they  could  not  doubt  that  they  ought  to 
send  him  to  their  dear  native  land,  and 
still  dearer  home;  and  that  they  should 
embrace  this  opportunity  of  trying  the 
last  expedient  for  his  restoration  to 
health,  was  equally  plain. 

Though  they  had  ever  felt  he  was  the 
Lord's,  yet  from  this  time  they  looked 
upon  him  as  still  more  entirely  given  to 
Christ,  as  if  hereafter,  the  care  of  his 
earthly  parents  must  cease,  and  his  de- 
pendence be  directly  on  his  Saviour. 
Much  and  earnestly  did  they  pray  that 
they  might  not  be  separated  from  their 
dear  child  until  they  saw  evidence  that 
he  was  in  truth  one  of  Christ's  dear 
lambs,  and  that  hereafter  they  should  meet 
him  with  all  the  sanctified  ones  above. 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  59 

About  this  time  he  was  fretting  at 
something  which  did  not  please  him — 
and  here  I  would  say  nervous  irritation 
is  a  distinguishing  and  most  distressing 
feature  of  the  disease  which  was  prey- 
ing upon  him  for  more  than  four  years. 
When,  in  one  of  these  fretful  moods,  his 
mother  said,  "  Rufus,  do  you  know  it  is 
wicked  to  fret  so  much,  and  that  God  is  dis- 
pleased when  you  do  it?"  He  looked  up 
in  wonder,  and  said,  "  No,  mother,  I  did 
not  know  it  was  wicked :  is  it  ?"  From 
that  time  he  was  not  known  to  be  irri- 
tated and  peevish. 

After  it  was  determined  to  send  him 
to  America,  his  mother  was  very  much 
occupied  in  preparing  clothes  for  the  voy- 
age. It  would  be  nearly,  or  quite,  four 
months  long,  and,  as  no  washing  could 
be  done  on  the  ship,  he  must  have  cloth- 
ing sufficient  for  all  this  time.  Besides,  he 
would  need  woollen  clothes  for  the  Ame- 
rican climate;  whereas  in  Siam  he  wore 
only  a  white  cotton  dress.  While  his 
mother  was  engaged  in  this  sad  work,  he 


60  RUFUS   HILL: 

would  sit  by,  and  often  asked  for  sewing, 
for  he  was  too  feeble  to  engage  in  the  ac- 
tive sports  which  boys  love  so  much. 

One  day,  a  little  circumstance  occur- 
red which  will  not  be  soon  forgotten. 
He  wished  to  sew,  but,  as  usual,  must  do 
something  he  thought  useful.  His  mo- 
ther gave  him  an  old  handkerchief  to 
darn.  He  worked  very  diligently  until 
every  hole  was  sewed  up;  then,  holding 
it  out  by  two  corners,  he  looked  upon  it 
with  great  complacency  and  said,  "  Now, 
when  you"  (he  always  called  himself 
you)  "go  to  America,  and  mother  sees 
this  handkerchief,  then  she  will  know 
you  mended  it."  The  old  handkerchief 
was  thrown  aside,  and  nothing  more 
thought  of  the  circumstance  until  seve- 
ral months  after  his  death,  when  his  mo- 
ther was  reminded  of  it  by  finding  the 
handkerchief.  None  but  a  bereaved  mo- 
ther knows  the  emotions  which  such  an 
occurrence  awakens ! 

After  he  was  told  of  coming  to  this 
country,    he    used   to    ask    innumerable 


THE    MISSIONARY   CHILD.  61 

questions  respecting  it.  Once  he  said: 
''  When  will  you"  (himself)  "  come 
back?" 

He  was  told  never,  unless  he  should 
become  a  Christian,  and  could  come  back 
to  teach  the  natives. 

"When  will  father  and  mother  come 
to  America?" 

"  Never,  if  they  are  well,  and  can  re- 
main in  Siam." 

"  When  will  Charlie  come?" 

"  In  ten  or  twelve  years,  if  he  lives." 
This  gave  him  great  pleasure,  and  he  of- 
ten spoke  of  seeing  his  brother  again. 

But  many  little  incidents,  which  oc- 
curred during  the  last  days  he  was  per- 
mitted to  stay  on  earth,  though  deeply 
interesting  to  his  parents  and  friends, 
might  not  be  so  considered  by  our  young 
readers;  therefore,  we  will  only  say  that 
his  parents  left  Ang  Hin  about  the  mid- 
dle of  June,  to  take  him  to  the  ship  in 
which  he  was  to  sail  for  Singapore,  on 
his  way  to  America;  that  his  father  and 
little  brother  proceeded  up  the  river  to 

6 


62  RUFUS   HILL: 

Bankok;  that  his  mother  remained  on 
the  ship  with  him  ten  days,  and  then 
took  her  final  leave  of  her  weak,  sickly 
child,  not  expecting  to  see  his  face  again ; 
and  that  his  father  then  came  to  the 
ship,  and  stayed  with  him  as  long  as  he 
lived,  and  then  returned  to  Bankok  with 
his  lifeless  remains.  We  will  close  our 
narrative  with  a  letter,  written  by  the 
afflicted  father  to  the  maternal  grand- 
parents of  this  dear  child,  giving  particu- 
lars of  his  last  days. 

Bankok,  (Siam,)  July  16,  1839. 

Dear  Parents  : — We  have  already  in- 
formed you  of  our  leaving  Bankok  for 
Ang  Hin,  a  place  near  the  head  of  the 
Gulf  of  Siam,  on  the  east  coast  of  Siam. 
Dr.  T.  and  family  went  with  us,  he  hoping 
such  a  change  might  benefit  Mrs.  T.,  who 
had  been  suffering  from  illness  a  long 
time;  and  we,  having  the  same  hopes 
with  regard  to  Eufus.  All  expected 
much  for  the  invalids,  from  the  sea-air. 
We  arrived  at  Ang  Hin  the  2d  of  March. 


THE    MISSIONARY   CHILD.  63 

Eufas  seemed  to  improve  for  a  time. 
Then  his  old  comphaint  returned  with 
more  than  usual  violence. 

After  a  thorough  trial,  finding  Mrs. 
T.'s  health  still  failing,  and  their  little 
one  also  very  feeble,  Dr.  T.  decided  to 
return  to  America.  He  kindly  offered 
to  take  Rufus  v/ith  him.  We  thought 
so  good  an  opportunity  should  be  im- 
proved, for  there  was  no  reason  to  hope 
he  could  live  much  longer  in  this  cli- 
mate. YVe,  accordingly,  made  prepara- 
tions for  sending  him  '^  home." 

About  the  last  of  May,  Dr.  T.  and 
family  left  us,  to  go  up  to  Bankok,  for 
the  purpose  of  arranging  their  affairs 
and  engaging  a  passage  to  Singapore. 

Soon  after  they  left  us,  Rufus  became 
much  worse,  and  Charlie  was  also  taken 
sick.  Our  prospects,  as  you  may  well 
suppose,  appeared  dark — sixty  miles  from 
our  missionary  friends  and  physician — 
among  heathen  strangers — without  boats 
to  leave  the  place,  and  our  children  sink- 
ing under  a  disease,  of  which  multitudes 


64  Rurus  hill: 

of  European  children  yearly  die  in  India. 
But  the  Lord  was  touched  with  the  feel- 
ing of  our  infirmities,  and  sustained  us. 

On  the  12th  of  June,  Dr.  T.  came  to 
us,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  Rufus  to 
the  English  ship  Gulnare,  Captain  Wil- 
liams, which  was  to  take  them  to  Singa- 
pore. The  day  previous  Eufus  was  very 
sick,  and  we  thought  it  doubtful  whe- 
ther he  could  live  to  reach  Singapore,  or 
even  the  ship.  But  this  was  our  last 
hope.  As  Charlie  was  still  unwell,  and 
we  without  helpers,  we  concluded  to 
leave  the  place  altogether  for  the  pres- 
ent, and  accompany  our  dear  child  to  the 
ship.  We  packed  up  our  household  stuff 
in  great  haste;  and  then  gave  directions 
to  a  Chinaman  to  get  the  things  to  Ban- 
kok  as  best  he  could. 

We  left  Ang  Hin  on  the  morning  of 
the  14th,  in  a  large  covered  boat,  and, 
after  as  pleasant  a  passage  of  thirty  or 
forty  miles  as  we  could  have,  in  our  cir- 
cumstances, we  reached  the  ship  at  four 
in  the  afternoon.     She  was  then  lying 


THE    MISSIONARY   CHILD.  65 

just  outside  of  the  river's  mouthy  about 
twenty-five  miles  from  Bankok. 

There  I  left  M.  and  Kufus,  with  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  T.,  and  Mr.  D.,  one  of  the  Bap- 
tist brethren  from  Bankok,  who  had 
come  to  try  the  sea  air  for  his  health. 

I  took  Charlie,  and  the  same  evening 
proceeded  up  the  river  towards  Bankok, 
wdiere  we  arrived,  after  the  narrowest 
possible  escape  from  capsizing,  on  the 
15th,  at  midnight. 

For  two  or  three  days  Rufus  improved 
rapidly,  and  was  entirely  free  from  his 
complaint;  but  on  Monday,  (the  17th,) 
M.  noticed  he  could  not  voluntarily  move 
the  middle  finger  on  his  right  hand,  and 
by  evening  he  was  unable  to  hold  up  his 
head. 

These  alarming  symptoms  continuing, 
M.  wrote,  wishing  me  to  go  to  the  ship 
immediately.  Dr.  T.  also  wrote,  consult- 
ing Dr.  B.  in  the  case.  Both  doctors  pro- 
nounced it  a  paralysis,  and  his  case  very 
critical.  Immediately  I  started  for  the 
ship,  which  I   reached  early  the   next 

6* 


66  RUFUS  hill: 

morning,  (Friday.)  By  that  time  Rufus 
had  much  improved.  M.  being  nearly 
exhausted  with  fatigue,  together  with 
the  difficulty  of  accommodating  both  of 
us  in  the  ship,  and  Charlie's  need  of  a 
mother's  care,  led  us  to  think  it  best  she 
should  return  to  Bankok  in  the  boat. 
She  left  us  the  same  morning,  (June 
21st,)  after  taking,  as  she  then  thought, 
the  last  farewell  of  that  dear  child,  over 
whom  she  had  watched,  night  and  day, 
during  an  illness  of  more  than  five  years. 
It  is  in  vain  to  try  to  describe  tlie  feelings 
which  filled  our  bosoms  at  that  sad  mo- 
ment. The  Lord  be  praised  for  sustain- 
ing M.  in  that  trying  hour!  I  remained 
with  the  little  sufferer  to  administer  to 
his  wants. 

After  M.  left  the  vessel,  he  still  con- 
tinued to  improve,  and  the  paralysis  en- 
tirely disappeared  for  several  days.  We 
entertained  hopes  of  his  entire  recovery, 
and  that  he  might  yet  reach  you.  But 
on  Friday,  just  a  week  after  his  mother 
left  us,  the  disease  returned,  which  was 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  67 

soon  checked  by  prompt  measures;  and 
on  Sabbath  morning  he  appeared  better 
than  before,  since  he  came  to  the  ship. 
This  was  a  short  calm.  At  eight  that 
same  morning,  he  suddenly  became  worse; 
was  very  weak,  and  complained  of  a 
pain  in  his  head.  He  frequently  called 
for  water  during  the  day,  but  could  not 
retain  it  on  his  stomach. 

The  paralysis  returned,  and  he  was  evi- 
dently drawing  near  his  end.  Medicine 
lost  all  power  before  night.  We  put  a  blis- 
ter on  the  back  of  his  neck,  hoping  it  might 
relieve  his  head — at  ten  in  the  evening  I 
dressed  it;  he  drank  a  little  water,  and  said 
his  head  was  "  better  now."  At  twelve 
I  gave  him  some  medicine,  after  which 
he  seemed  a  little  convulsed ;  but  he  soon 
rested  easy  again  for  a  short  time.  I 
wet  his  head;  he  said,  "  it  is  most  well." 
I  asked  him  if  he  wanted  to  see  mother  ? 
He  said,  "  yes."  I  then  asked  him  if  he 
wanted  to  go  and  live  with  Jesus?  He 
replied  "yes,"  and  added,  that  he  loved 
Jesus.   These  were  his  last  words.    Again 


68  RUFUS   HILL  : 

lie  was  a  little  convulsed.  I  called  Dr. 
T.,  who  pronounced  him  dying.  He  lay 
nearly  motionless  until  twenty  minutes 
before  three,  when  his  spirit  so  gently 
departed  to  the  bosom  of  the  Good  Shep- 
herd, that  it  w^as  difficult  to  know  the 
moment  when  it  left  the  body ! 

Thus,  my  dear  parents,  were  we  called 
to  part  with  our  first-born,  after  having 
watched  over  him  five  years  and  five 
months,  and  most  of  the  time  in  circum- 
stances peculiarly  trying,  as  you  already 
know;  but  we  have  strong  confidence 
that  he  has  gone  to  that  blessed  world, 
where 

"  Sin  and  sorrow,  pain  and  death, 
Are  felt  and  feared  no  more.^' 

From  his  birth  we  had  daily  conse- 
crated him  to  God,  and  felt  that  we  de- 
sired nothing  for  him  but  that  he  might 
"  be  the  Lord's  servant  forever." 

We  trust  a  covenant-keeping  God  has 
heard,  and  answered  our  prayers.  Our 
dear  child  gave  increasing  evidence  of  a 


THE    MISSIONARY    CHILD.  69 

change  of  heart,  as  he  drew  near  the 
close  of  life.  We  noticed  for  several 
weeks  before  his  death  a  marked  change 
in  his  disposition,  and  a  pleasure  mani- 
fested in  conversation  about  Christ  and 
heavenly  things,  and  an  absence  of  that 
terror  of  death  which  he  had  ever  shown 
from  the  first  time  he  comprehended  the 
fact  that  he  must  die.  His  disease  was 
such  as  to  make  the  sufferer  irritable 
and  feverish;  but  his  last  days  were 
marked  by  a  tranquil,  lovely  state  of 
mind;  not  a  murmuring  word  escaped 
him,  and  he  showed  more  anxiety  lest 
''  mother  should  get  tired,"  than  he  did 
for  his  own  comfort. 

We  had  been  very  particular  in  ex- 
plaining to  him  the  meaning  and  nature 
of  prayer;  that  he,  with  all  others,  was 
a  sinner,  and  must  have  a  change  of 
nature;  that  he  must  love  God,  and, 
if  he  would  be  good,  he  must  ask  in 
prayer  for  a  new  heart,  &c.  All  this 
he  evidently  understood;  but  seemed 
most  interested  in  the  idea,  that  Jesus 


70  PvUFUS    HILL: 

Christ  would  hear  little  children  when 
the}^  asked  him  for  things  they  needed, 
just  as  his  mother  would  hear  him  when 
he  asked  her  for  things  which  were  for 
his  good. 

After  he  was  removed  into  Mr.  D.'s 
cabin,  ten  days  before  his  death,  Mr.  D. 
overheard  him  praying  whenever  I  went 
out  for  a  few  moments.  Kufus  thought 
him  asleep,  or  out  of  the  cabin,  and  took 
those  opportunities  for  secret  j)rayer. 
Only  now  and  then  a  word  could  be 
heard  distinctly,  such  as,  "I  pray," 
"Jesus  Christ,"  and  the  like. 

Providence  kindly  ordered  all  our  cir- 
cumstances. The  officers  showed  every 
sympathy  possible ;  and  an  English  gen- 
tleman on  board  offered  to  take  me,  and 
the  precious  remains  of  our  dear  child, 
to  Bankok  in  his  boat. 

How  to  break  the  news  to  my  already 
afflicted  M.  was  the  cause  of  many  an 
anxious  thought  and  earnest  prayer  as  I 
slowly  sailed  towards  my  lonely  home. 
When  I  arrived  it  was  midnight,  and  all 


THE   MISSIONARY   CHILD.  71 

were  locked  in  soft  slumber.  I  knocked 
M.  opened  the  door,  and  said,  "  Is  it  you, 
my  dear?  Why  did  you  leave  Eufus  so 
soon?  and  how  is  he?  I  felt  the  cold 
drops  start  to  my  forehead,  and  could 
only  answer :  '^  Our  Father  has  been 
very  gracious  to  us;  he  has  taken  our 
dear  child  to  himself."  Though  this 
midnight  call  from  the  Master,  as  you 
may  suppose,  was  nearly  overwhelming, 
the  Lord's  sustaining  grace  was  sufficient, 
even  in  this  hour,  and  "blessed  be  his 
name ! 

The  next  morning,  at  eleven,  we  laid 
the  mortal  remains  of  our  dear  child  by 
his  brother's  side,  in  the  peaceful  grave. 
Mr.  D.  conducted  the  services,  which  were 
closed  by  singing  that  beautiful  hymn — 

*'  Unveil  thy  bosom,  faithful  tomb." 

Thus,  my  dear  parents,  I  have  given 
you  a  very  brief  account  of  the  last  days 
of  our  first-born.  We  had  intended  to 
send  him  home  to  your  care ;  but  we 
doubt  not  he  has  gone  to  a  better  home, 


72  RUFUS   HILL. 

and  to  the  care  of  Infinite  Love.  Rather 
let  us  bless  the  Lord  that  he  has  taken 
so  many  of  our  dear  kindred  and  friends 
to  heaven,  and  given  us  a  hope  that,  in 
his  own  good  time,  we  ourselves  shall 
enjoy  the  same  glory.  Oh,  what  a  joy- 
ful meeting  will  that  be  at  his  right 
hand,  and  none  the  less  so  for  the  pain- 
ful separations  and  trials  we  shall  have 
passed  through  here. 

May  the  God  of  all  consolation  com- 
fort your  hearts,  as  he  does  ours,  and 
bring  us  all  at  length,  a  happy  family, 
into  his  heavenly  kingdom ! 

This  the  daily  prayer  of  your  affec- 
tionate son,  Charles  — — . 


THE   END. 


